Had an MRI lately?

[David]

I had one a couple months ago. I had to wait over 2 hours past my appointment time. Seeing how only one person (an elderly woman) didn't go in while I was there and came out minutes before I went in, I'm assuming the lady had all sorts of issues getting the MRI. Which begs the question, why not give everyone a Valium before they get one?

[Chocaholic]

Older scanners had a 60cm bore and could be quite claustrophobic...and loud. Still many of those in use, but...no thanks. Newer units are considerably larger (73cm as I recall) and have innovative technologies to prevent claustrophobia. Gradients housed in a vacuum is used by one company to significantly reduce noise, and as a result, it's the device you'll often see in military/VA's (due to PTSD). Also, new systems may incorporate video systems so you can lay there and watch a video/movie while being scanned, or listen to music. There's one company (maybe more) that makes an open-MRI which is common to see in outpatient centers. Easier on the patient but the image quality isn't as good.

Often you will still be injected with Gadolinium as a contrast agent which can be uncomfortable and isn't very healthy as it's a heavy metal that builds up in your system. Do a search if interested. The tech has come a long way but isn't perfect. At least there's no radiation.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by David

I had one a couple months ago. I had to wait over 2 hours past my appointment time. Seeing how only one person (an elderly woman) didn't go in while I was there and came out minutes before I went in, I'm assuming the lady had all sorts of issues getting the MRI. Which begs the question, why not give everyone a Valium before they get one?

They always ask me if I am claustrophobic when I make the appointment. I assumed it was so they could take some kind of measure to make claustrophobic people more comfortable.

Originally Posted by David

Which begs the question, why not give everyone a Valium before they get one?

I'm about to take this one to the pet peeve thread.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by David

I had one a couple months ago. I had to wait over 2 hours past my appointment time. Seeing how only one person (an elderly woman) didn't go in while I was there and came out minutes before I went in, I'm assuming the lady had all sorts of issues getting the MRI. Which begs the question, why not give everyone a Valium before they get one?

If scanned in a hospital, the numbers of people unable to lay flat and/or remain still for a scan duration is significant. As age and disease advances, capabilities wane and the rate of "unable" goes up. People needing a scan in a hospital can require IV sedation or general anesthesia which adds a lot of time in a best case scenario. Also, there are urgent/emergent scans which only make all the schedules necessarily messy. Lastly, staffing for hospitals is largely the wild, wild west today so that also contributes to problems. Good times.

[gchappel]

Yes MRI can be claustrophobic, loud, "uncomfortable" but it is SOOOO much better than the other older alternatives. You don't hear about "exploratory surgery" much anymore. The need for having catheters and wires fed through your blood vessels for diagnostic/non therapeutic studies has also markedly decreased.
If my choice is lying still in a loud small tube or getting cut open for exploratory surgery- I sure know which one I would do.
I have had multiple MRI. Do I enjoy them- nope. But as long as something is not physically causing me pain, I can get through it.
I actually think if I put a comfortable couch in a dim room- and the medical exam was to sit still on the couch for 20 minutes- a sizeable percentage of patients would not be able to tolerate it.
To me it is simply not that big of a deal. Close your eyes, and get it over with.
gary

[stevej37]

If they give the patient a Valium....I doubt they will release them without a designated driver.
Some areas have Uber drivers that are certified to pick-up patients.

[Tobra]

Valium has a pretty long half life, xanax maybe

[SCadaddle]

I've had so many MRI's in so many machines I comment on "how well the tires were balanced (or not) when they are done. I had one nurse claim they had just balanced and rotated the tires the week before. My instructions to the operator once the freak out button is in my hand is "let me know when we are square to the Japanese destroyer cause I'm gonna push the button and come out of this tube!".

Now, imagine laying on the board with your head in the box and a warm hot plastic mesh gets taken out of a warmer and flopped over your face, it gets clipped onto the box your head is in and then pushed pressed into your facial features while you breath through a bite stick clinched in your front teeth. The whole process to make your "mask" takes about 15 minutes to harden up and you are effectively immobilized by your head. Welcome to the Gamma Knife. Enjoy the 45 minutes in the tube. Don't pay too much attention to the change of barely audible sound frequency and the slight dimming of the lights at the same time, it's kind of like using your microwave at 30 percent power...you know what's going on when it cycles.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by masraum

I guess I can see how if you've managed to tune out all of the noise, you might fall asleep in that amount of time. You guys must be zen masters that have gained enlightenment to zone out so completely that you pass out in a clanking tube like that.

I was one of those people who could take a nap anywhere. Plane? Movie theater? Rock concert? MRI? Anywhere.


Turns out it was because of my sleep apnea... :debbiedowner:

[NY65912]

I'm on my way to an MRI. This will be probably my 20th. Getting a n enterography of the small bowel and follow up for a cyst in my pancreas discovered in my last scan.

I have bad claustrophobia so I drop 2mg of Klonopin. I purchased a pair of MRI friendly prism glasses that flip your vision 90 degrees so you are looking out of the machine.

First MRI was in '91 when it was as though you shimmied into a piece of 8" pipe.

Yeah, for me they're torture. It's going to be a long one, with and without contrast. Each takes about 40 min. Oh, there's also the drinking of the solution over a 90 min period before going in. Fun times!

[NY65912]

I'm on my way to an MRI. This will be probably my 20th. Getting a n enterography of the small bowel and follow up for a cyst in my pancreas that was discovered last scan.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

I've had so many MRI's in so many machines I comment on "how well the tires were balanced (or not) when they are done. I had one nurse claim they had just balanced and rotated the tires the week before. My instructions to the operator once the freak out button is in my hand is "let me know when we are square to the Japanese destroyer cause I'm gonna push the button and come out of this tube!".

Now, imagine laying on the board with your head in the box and a warm hot plastic mesh gets taken out of a warmer and flopped over your face, it gets clipped onto the box your head is in and then pushed pressed into your facial features while you breath through a bite stick clinched in your front teeth. The whole process to make your "mask" takes about 15 minutes to harden up and you are effectively immobilized by your head. Welcome to the Gamma Knife. Enjoy the 45 minutes in the tube. Don't pay too much attention to the change of barely audible sound frequency and the slight dimming of the lights at the same time, it's kind of like using your microwave at 30 percent power...you know what's going on when it cycles.

A gamma knife experience is still a welcomed alternative to brain surgery. If you’re a candidate, lay down for 45 minutes with a tumor, and get up and go home without one (not necessarily in a single treatment but still more preferable).

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I attribute this to all the time I used to spend inside the wings in the fuel tanks of various commercial aircraft. Or up inside of the vertical stabilizer (you can climb all the way to the top inside on a 747, looking out the marker light cavity on the top forward tip). Or behind the aft pressure bulkhead, of up above the nose gear well under the cockpit, or under the passenger compartment where the wings meet, or other such confined spaces. I would sometimes spend entire shifts inside those places, only coming out for lunch and to relieve myself. I guess I just got used to it.

I knew the wings were where the fuel was stored in many/most aircraft. I'd never thought about how big they are or if there was enough room with reinforcing ribs and whatnot to get inside one. I guess I wouldn't have thought there was that much room, but the overall size of a passenger's jet probably works to have our heads think "the wings aren't that big. I definitely wouldn't have expected to be able to get inside the vertical stabilizer, especially all of the way to the top. Cool!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by masraum

I definitely wouldn't have expected to be able to get inside the vertical stabilizer, especially all of the way to the top. Cool!

I know this is way off the topic, but ...
I had to put some strain gauges on the vertical stabilizer on a C-130 once. It's the closest I'd gotten to a big airplane outside of the Air Force museum. Climbing around on one gives you a whole new perspective on how big they are.